2014/04/13

Week of the Young Child

Annie's pre-school celebrates The Week of the Young Child like my high school did spirit week before homecoming where everyone wears random get-ups all week.  These were Annie's:

Monday - Crazy Clothes Day (a cape was all I could come up with - I'm not very fashion forward)
 

Tuesday - Wear Your Favorite Color - purple, of course. (Annie wanted Denver in the picture because she was so impressed with his overalls "they are sooooo cute - take his picture too!")
 

Wednesday - Crazy Hair Day (note to self: hair chalk is EXTREMELY hard to get out of very blond hair.)
 

Thursday - Dress Myself Day (Annie was dying to wear the cape again - she had asked to every day since Monday so guess what she put on??? She added the mask for effect.)


Friday - Crazy Hat Day - we've used this hat on multiple occasions and it's begining to get stretched to the limit but she still loves it and look how sweet she is in it. 








2014/04/12

Peace, love, & all that other stuff...

To begin here's what we've been up to -

Denver started sitting up in a tripod pose by himself right at the end of 3 months old / first of 4 months.  This opened a whole new world for him and like the Pilgrims, he didn't want to go back.  So now we have a lot less of this:


and more of this:
 

Laying down or being propped up no longer works for him.  He needs to be upright on his own so he can see what everyone else is doing and grab anything close to him and do a security check on it by putting it in his mouth.
 

Unless he is doing this:


He assumes this position:
 

He is smiley and happy 90% of the time but is very vocal with his demands when they are not met.
 
 
We've also had a zoo trip per Annie's request.


It was a tad chilly but she didn't mind.


Neither did Denver
 

Brynn and her mom met us at the zoo so that added to the fun.






 

In case you couldn't tell the OKC Zoo is very proud of their elephant enclosure and  exhibit.

It was at our zoo trip while I carried Denver in a baby carrier on me and worked to find private places to nurse him while Philip stood watch (remember he is very vocal when he has a need to be met) that I realized what a hippy I have become.  Yes, I've always recycled and tried to go along with peace, not war in my own relationships and interactions but in recent months on reflection I've really embraced the earth mother lifestyle it seems.
 
With Annie if she needed to nurse and we had company - I went back to a bedroom.  If we were in a restaurant I'd head out to the car.  If we were in a public place like the zoo I'd find a bathroom.  With Denver, not so much. 
 
Now, I'm not one of those nurse in public people nor would I be a participant in a "nurse-in" just because I do think privacy is important for you and the baby (and frankly strangers don't need to witness me nursing).  I always have a cover and try to find a private place but let's face facts sometimes the most secluded you can get is a somewhat discreet park bench or the corner of the booth where you are dining because with two kids it's just not possible to always run out to the car or cram into a bathroom stall and I've always found that gross anyway. 
 
Hippy trait number two - I use to roll my eyes at those people with their babies in packs on them until I had one of my own that felt like they needed to be straight up seeing everything all the time. I realized how helpful they can be. Annie rode in the sling some but never really took to the baby Bjorn. She preferred to ride on my hip. Denver however grew out of the sling quickly and moved into the Bjorn by 6 weeks old.  He loves it and now every time we go anywhere we have the Bjorn and when we get out that's how Denver travels - on either Philip or I. 
 
Hippy identifier number three - I've begun making my own laundry detergent and the majority of my cleaning supplies. Why? Well my friend Sarah who watches Denver while I'm at work has done it for years and told me about it and how great it is so I thought I'd give it a shot.  I did and it works great. Getting stains out of a baby's clothes after a diaper blowout is not an easy task but this homemade laundry detergent does the trick.  Everything comes out smelling sweet and is clean as a whistle (what does that even mean?).  Plus, with my hippy ideas I've begin to consider all the additives and chemicals that the little ones are exposed to and think limiting it is a good thing; and if the natural stuff works it's a no-brainer in my opinion.

 

Hippy exhibit number four - I use essential oils.  Every day I put them on the kids and me before we head out the door and diffuse them every night while we go to sleep (and some during the day). Why? Well, they are suppose to have some bacteriocidal properties and who wants to be sick or have a sick kid?  I can tell you who - no one!  There is nothing worse than having a child who doesn't feel well, your heart just aches for them and these seem to help so I'm sold.

Bonus the kids seem to like them, they smell nice, and they aren't harmful so why not?  (Doesn't that sound like a 60's argument by a man with long hair, who hasn't showered in days, and is wearing bell bottoms?)

Annie always reminds me before she puts her shoes and socks on in the morning "Don't forget my oils!"  The Autumn of even a year ago would've been shaking her head at that.



In addition to the above points another granola facet of my life now is that Philip and I are currently adhering to the paleo diet.  (Which would make it not granola at all since grains are out, but I digress.)  

Pretty much you eliminate processed foods and eat fresh stuff.  After 2 weeks of this I have to concede that yes I do feel a lot better and have more energy (after pretty much figuratively kicking and screaming before agreeing to do it with Philip). While we won't always completely eliminate carbs or dairy we are hoping to do it 85% of the time after we do this hardcore for a couple of months.  We feel better, have gotten rid of a few extra pounds, and presume we are healthier so it seems like a good lifestyle for us to adapt. 

I guess in the end it's like I mentioned a little while back when I had my birthday - although I'm not sure where I thought I'd be at this point in my life I am certain I would have been laughing at some of the things I am doing now. But in the end that's what makes growing and life fun - watching how experiences, events, and people change you.  That being said I hope I don't read this years down the road and realize I took a trip to a large outdoor concert in the middle of a field in upstate New York... :)































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